diff --git a/packages/client/ui-settings-general/src/client/SettingsRoot.tsx b/packages/client/ui-settings-general/src/client/SettingsRoot.tsx
index 762747500d..5c5498738e 100644
--- a/packages/client/ui-settings-general/src/client/SettingsRoot.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/ui-settings-general/src/client/SettingsRoot.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function SettingsPanel({ rows, renderSlot, activeId, onSelect, onClose }: PanelP
     return () => { document.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown) }
   }, [onClose])
 
-  // Baseline focus management: entering the dialog lands on the close button.
+  // Entering the dialog focuses the close button; the root restores its trigger on close.
   const closeButton = useRef<HTMLButtonElement | null>(null)
   useEffect(() => { closeButton.current?.focus() }, [])
 
@@ -106,10 +106,17 @@ export function SettingsRoot(props: SettingsRootComponentProps) {
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
   const [activeId, setActiveId] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined)
   const [completedOnboarding, setCompletedOnboarding] = useState<ReadonlySet<string>>(() => new Set())
+  const triggerButton = useRef<HTMLButtonElement | null>(null)
+  const wasOpen = useRef(open)
   const close = useCallback(() => {
     setOpen(false)
     setActiveId(undefined)
   }, [])
+  // Restore after the close commit, when the dialog can no longer own focus.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (wasOpen.current && !open) triggerButton.current?.focus()
+    wasOpen.current = open
+  }, [open])
   const openSection = useCallback((id: string) => {
     setActiveId(id)
     setOpen(true)
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ export function SettingsRoot(props: SettingsRootComponentProps) {
   return (
     <>
       <button
+        ref={triggerButton}
         type="button"
         className={clsx(css.trigger, !wide && css.rail)}
         aria-haspopup="dialog"
diff --git a/packages/client/ui-settings-general/tests/settings-root.client.spec.tsx b/packages/client/ui-settings-general/tests/settings-root.client.spec.tsx
index 2ef00fc585..7d61bbc78c 100644
--- a/packages/client/ui-settings-general/tests/settings-root.client.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/client/ui-settings-general/tests/settings-root.client.spec.tsx
@@ -81,7 +81,10 @@ function mount({
 }
 
 function openPanel() {
-  fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Settings' }))
+  const trigger = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Settings' })
+  trigger.focus()
+  fireEvent.click(trigger)
+  return trigger
 }
 
 describe('SettingsRoot trigger', () => {
@@ -131,26 +134,29 @@ describe('SettingsPanel chrome seats', () => {
 })
 
 describe('SettingsPanel close paths', () => {
-  it('closes via the header button', () => {
+  it('closes via the header button and restores trigger focus', async () => {
     mount()
-    openPanel()
+    const trigger = openPanel()
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }))
     expect(screen.queryByRole('dialog')).toBeNull()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(document.activeElement).toBe(trigger) })
   })
 
-  it('closes via a mask click', () => {
+  it('closes via a mask click and restores trigger focus', async () => {
     mount()
-    openPanel()
+    const trigger = openPanel()
     const dialog = screen.getByRole('dialog')
     fireEvent.click(dialog.parentElement!.firstElementChild!)
     expect(screen.queryByRole('dialog')).toBeNull()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(document.activeElement).toBe(trigger) })
   })
 
-  it('closes via document-level Escape and unhooks the listener with the panel', () => {
+  it('closes via document-level Escape, restores trigger focus, and unhooks the listener', async () => {
     mount()
-    openPanel()
+    const trigger = openPanel()
     fireEvent.keyDown(document, { key: 'Escape' })
     expect(screen.queryByRole('dialog')).toBeNull()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(document.activeElement).toBe(trigger) })
     // Ignored while closed (listener removed with the panel) and non-Escape
     // keys are ignored while open.
     fireEvent.keyDown(document, { key: 'Escape' })
diff --git a/packages/session/session-projection-cache/tests/cache.spec.ts b/packages/session/session-projection-cache/tests/cache.spec.ts
index 7743106eac..8a851ce2d4 100644
--- a/packages/session/session-projection-cache/tests/cache.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/session/session-projection-cache/tests/cache.spec.ts
@@ -442,15 +442,17 @@ describe('SessionProjectionCache cold-read seeding', () => {
     // Host-only unit: folded but not served; the refreshed row is written
     // back (fail-soft, fire-and-forget) once the write lands.
     expect(Object.keys(snapshot.values)).not.toContain('cache-test/count')
-    await settle()
-    expect((await storedRows(root, meta.id))?.['cache-test/count']?.seq).toBe(4)
+    await vi.waitFor(async () => {
+      expect((await storedRows(root, meta.id))?.['cache-test/count']?.seq).toBe(4)
+    })
     // No cached row yet: the first cold read folds from init over the full
     // log and creates the cache row (the `?? {}` seed path).
     const fresh = headerOf(SessionId('cold-fresh'), 10)
     cache.coldSnapshot(fresh, events)
     expect(apply).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(7) // 2 tail + 5 full
-    await settle()
-    expect((await storedRows(root, fresh.id))?.['cache-test/count']?.seq).toBe(4)
+    await vi.waitFor(async () => {
+      expect((await storedRows(root, fresh.id))?.['cache-test/count']?.seq).toBe(4)
+    })
   })
 
   it('coldSnapshot write-back is fail-soft: a failed durable write logs and never throws', async () => {